We spoke to Tyler Haag two years ago when his last album (Aim True) was released. So much fun to hear what’s been happening since that time. The new single is sneakily empowering and I suspect will resonate with fans who really need some encouragement or an opportunity to be proud of being strong in all aspects of life
Last time we spoke was during the pandemic. You were making the most of it by coming out with music for the first time in a few years. How is post-pandemic life going?
Getting to make music and play shows again has been absolutely magical, I truly love it. I’ve gotten to play some really cool events and I’ve met so many incredible people and talented musicians. I’m just so grateful to be doing the thing again.
Also, I am almost 6 1/2 years alcohol free but this was my first time doing a lot of this stuff without a beer in my hand? So that makes it all that much better.
You just released a new single, Rest. It is sad and potentially empowering at the same time. How do you feel about the song?
I’m so happy you heard the potentially empowering aspect! I tend to have a lot of sad in the songs, it can be hard to hear much else. I was trying to get that “moving out is hard, moving on can be so good.” vibe? There is an independence from the narrator, obviously more alone than before but lyrically it’s also an update addressed to that person like “I did normal stuff, it was hard. And I am still trying”.
The image you have with the song on Bandcamp is very charming. How did you select it?
Thank you! That is a picture of me at 2 years old, taken by my mom. Some of my favorite bands and artists have used old photos as their album art and I almost always love it? Evening Rig, Pretty Boy Thorson, to name a couple off the top of my head. So I had been wanting to do that for a bit and then my mom gave me an old photo album and that was one of the pictures in there. Actually, there are 4 or 5 different photos from that “baseball shoot” that I used for a bunch of artwork coming up.
Are you working on other music? Could there be a full album or EP coming out in the future?
I am! There is!
Rest is the first single off of an EP called Sport coming out July 28th. Zero drums but a bunch of instruments on it: acoustic guitar, mandolin, dobro, electric guitar, bass, fiddle, maybe piano? Got several of my friends to help me make it and I’m so excited for everyone to hear it!
I will also be releasing two full band songs later this year.
Where can people see you playing live?
July 9th at 1pm I will be at the White Squirrel in St. Paul with Matthew Day and Dan Henney from Night Jobs. July 22nd I will be with the full band at the 331 with Phantom Fields and James Eugene Russell.
Mostly Minnesota 